Veggie Fish and Chips

I spend the majority of my time around the coast, so I’m passionate about the RNLI and what we do. This is what I’ll make for my Fish Supper.

Katie Smith, RNLI Heritage Engagement Manager

Seasoned Chef

Skill level

Preparation
30minutes

Cooking time
60minutes

Vegetarian

Ingredients

Serves 4

1–2 packets halloumi cheese

125g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp white pepper

¼ tsp salt

125ml warm milk and water – about half and half

a few drops vegetable oil for the batter and enough to cover the halloumi as it fries

400g potatoes

Method

Preheat your oven to 180C. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour, then add the oil and a small amount of the warm half milk, half water mixture. Stir slowly, bringing down more and more of the flour mixture until it is all combined. Beat well until it is very smooth – you can do this by hand or use an electric beater.

Wash the potatoes but do not peel. Cut them into wedges or chunky chip shapes and spread them out onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper to taste. Place the baking sheet onto the middle shelf of the oven. They will take approximately 40 minutes to cook, depending on how chunky you have made your wedges. Once the wedges are cooked and golden turn the oven down as low as it will go and leave the wedges to keep hot. They won’t burn but will stay hot and crispy until you are ready to serve them.

Cut the halloumi into either thick finger shapes, wedges cut to resemble fish fillets or cut into simple chunks. Pat the cheese shapes dry with kitchen towels or a clean tea towel and then dip them into the batter mixture making sure that they are completely coated.

This dish is best cooked in a deep fat fryer. But if you don’t have one of those, you can use a large heavy-based saucepan instead, or even a shallow frying pan. Heat the oil to 150C. Be very careful not to overfill it because the hot oil can bubble over easily.

Drop the battered cheese pieces into the hot oil one at a time. It’s better to cook the cheese in batches than risk it burning or sticking to the pan. Once cooked, drain well on absorbent kitchen paper. You can always put the cooked pieces onto a tray and keep them hot in the oven with the wedges or chips.

Serve with mushy peas or a nice tossed green salad, and garnish with fresh parsley, lemon wedges and a little tartare sauce. Delicious.